Ventura Hammers at Deficit, Beats Long Beach, 88-83

Poise and perseverance enabled the Ventura College basketball team to overcome a 14-point first-half deficit and defeat host Long Beach City, 88-83, Wednesday night in a nonconference game.

Ventura (17-0), top-ranked in the state, had to play catch-up throughout the first half and six minutes into the second but remained confident and focused.

“This team never seems to get down,” Coach Philip Mathews said.

Long Beach (15-4), second-ranked in Southern California, jumped to a 21-7 lead early in the first half after an 18-4 run. It was the Vikings’ largest lead and they continued to lead until Calvin Curry (19 points) hit a three-point jump shot to give Ventura a 60-58 lead with 14 minutes to play.

“I told (the team) not to try and get it back all at once,” Mathews said. “Just chip away and chip away at it. We finally settled down in the second half.”

Helping the Pirates hammer away at Long Beach’s lead was freshman forward Brandon Jessie, who scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the second half and finished with 12 rebounds.

“Coach said I looked tense out there in the first half,” Jessie said. “I missed a couple of shots and my confidence was low.”

After trading baskets with Long Beach and watching the lead change four times after Curry’s basket, the Pirates took the lead for good, 77-76, on a pair of free throws by reserve Tracy Lundy with 5:50 to play.

Long Beach sophomore guard Jamie Davis (22 points) got the Vikings close, 85-83, with a short jumper after a Ventura turnover with 46 seconds remaining. Leading, 86-83, moments later, the Pirates secured the victory when Long Beach’s Rodney Harris misfired on a three-point attempt and Ventura’s Michael King grabbed the rebound.

A fast-break feed by Joey Ramirez to Jessie for the slam closed the scoring.

King had a team-high 16 rebounds.

“Long Beach is a good team,” Mathews said. “Hopefully, we’ll meet them again in San Francisco (in the state championship tournament).”